5:00 Newcastle Tips

Unplaced in his first four starts, Teardrops has found plenty of improvement since being switched to sprinting here at Newcastle. He has won three of his six starts and been placed in two others. His last win came three weeks ago off 55, and he was just beaten by a better-handicapped rival of 5 lb higher a week later. He is off the same mark here but must have a great chance of going in again.

A course and distance winner off a mark of 65 in November 2024 but not won since. She has dropped to a mark of 50 now and was a decent runner-up over 7 furlongs at Southwell last time out and has finished second in her last three starts. The drop back to 6 furlongs with the first time blinkers appeal.

Hasn't won for over a year now, but is a fairly consistent performer who took a step forward from reappearance when fourth over course and distance in January. He has slipped to his last winning mark now and drops into Class 6 today, so should run well.

Ran well in defeat after a slow start last time out, did well in the circumstances. Hopefully the horse and jockey are more alert and break better today but overall, this horse has a progressive and fairly consistent profile.

This horse is a five-time course-and-distance winner who won this race last year. His mark is now just above his last winning mark from September 2025. Regular rider Cam Hardie does the steering, and if anywhere near his best he should go close.

Penny Mountain has won 1 of 8 runs at course and distance and has won 1 of 7 runs in this class. Below form when 6th last time out but victory here recently. Progressing before that and 1lb down from last effort. Looks fairly weighted.

Mersea has not won since last summer on turf off a 65 in C6. Her last win on the AW was here in Feb last year off a 68 in C6 at 6f. Although this year has been a bit down the running order, they have mainly been in C4 and C5 at 5f. I think the return here in C6 off a 59 at 6f puts her in with a chance EW.

Howzak is an 8-year-old gelding trained by Liam Bailey and ridden by Billy Garrity. He is 7/36 wins and 6/30 on the AW, so no back number. He clearly has had some training problems, but he is nonetheless prolific and a CD winner just six starts back off a mark of 61, making all the running to win by a comfortable 3.25l under today's jockey, posting an RPR of 71. He takes his chance today off 57 on his third start back after a lengthy 316-day break, so should be all the better from a fitness perspective. The yard may be just hitting some form, having two runner-up finishes: Henry Halflight 80-1 and Pit Boss 15-2 with his last two starters, incidentally, here at the last meeting at Newcastle.